Lend Me a Tenor Press Release

The Bergen County Players, one of America’s longest continuously-running community theater companies, continues its 75^th Diamond Jubilee “Season of the Decades” with a production of Lend Me a Tenor by Ken Ludwig. BCP is presenting one show from every decade of its theatrical existence throughout the 2007-08 season and this riotous comedy featuring mistaken identities, slamming doors and precise timing represents the 1980s. Lend Me a Tenor plays on Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00pm and Sunday afternoons at 2:00pm October 27 through November 17 at the Little Firehouse Theatre, 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell. Tickets are $19 on Friday and Saturday and $16 on Sunday, and may be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org. They are also available at the box office or by phone at 201-261-4200; Visa, MC and Amex accepted.

Nominated for seven 1989 Tony Awards and six Drama Desk Awards, this delightful farce follows the trials and tribulations of Henry Saunders, a hapless Cleveland opera impresario trying to ensure the old theater ethic, “the show must go on.” Through a variety of errors, a visiting opera star, Tito Merelli (aka “Il Stupendo”) is thought to be dead, and a fledging opera singer, Max, is unwillingly thrust into the limelight. Confusion reigns when Maggie, Max’s fiancée, an opera society matron, Julia, and the designing local operatic hopeful, Diana, all throw themselves at both the real and the imitation Il Stupendo while trying to stay clear of Tito’s jealous wife, Maria.

Lend Me a Tenor is directed by Peter Colletto, who previously directed Fuddy Meers, Table Manners and The Odd Couple (Female Version) at BCP’s Little Firehouse Theatre. A theater teacher for the past thirty years, he has also directed numerous workshops at BCP, worked behind the scenes on productions and acted onstage as well.

Joe Riley of Jersey City appears as Max, the fledging opera singer. No stranger to the stage, Joe has starred in numerous musicals and comedies, including Lucky Stiff, Epic Proportions, 1940s Radio Hour, All in the Timing, Pippin, The Sweetest Sounds, Seussical, Forever Plaid, and Guys and Dolls.

Roy Mossi of Maywood plays the role of Saunders, the producer. He has been on the Bergen County Players stage in numerous productions, including The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, Deathtrap, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Pirates of Penzance, Sylvia, Play It Again Sam, A Thousand Clowns, Beau Jest, and Lost in Yonkers. Roy is a BCP Life member and by day is a Bergen/Passaic attorney.

Clifton Lewis of Closter portrays Tito Merelli, the opera star known as “Il Stupendo.” Cliff’s previous BCP credits include both leading and character roles in Into the Woods, Hogan’s Goat, The World Goes ‘Round, The Most Happy Fella, Anything Goes, Urinetown and Follies, In Concert.

Helen Boyadjian of Saddle River appears as Maria Merelli, Tito’s hot-blooded and quick-tempered wife. Helen has appeared in The Odd Couple (Female Version), Hansel and Gretel and Mission Improv-able II. Born in Beirut, Lebanon to a family of singers and dramatists of Armenian descent, Helen has been singing and acting in several languages since coming to America as a child.

Mallory Hoernig of Wyckoff is playing Maggie Saunders. She is making her debut on the Bergen County Players stage but has performed elsewhere in Waiting for Godot, American Dream, Wanda’s Visit, The Bald Soprano, Not I and Top Girls. Mallory is a graduate of Ramapo College of NJ with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater.

Jeanmarie Garver of River Edge appears as Diana, the wanton local operatic hopeful. Jeanmarie has numerous theater credits on this stage and elsewhere including The Real Inspector Hound, Black Comedy, Mission Improv-able, The Odd Couple (Female Version), The Butterfly Collection, As Bees in Honey Drown, The Real Thing, The Octette Bridge Club, The Actor’s Nightmare and Company. Jeanmarie works as the Activities Director for Inglemoor Nursing Home.

Marjory Lewis of Ridgewood is portraying Julia, Chairman of the Cleveland Opera Guild. With Bergen County Players, she has been in The Wizard of Oz, You Can’t Take it With You, Summer Brave, Hansel and Gretel and Jack & the Beanstalk. She has also performed extensively with the Ridgewood Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Co. and the Hillside Players. A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Marjy performed professionally as a dancer and singer on Broadway and with national companies.

John Kiely of Allendale is playing the opera-loving Bellhop who is dying to get Il Stupendo’s photo and autograph. John is the Director of Sales for Academy Bus and has appeared in Closer Than Ever, Company, 1776, Jack & the Beanstalk, Book of Days, The Real Inspector Hound, Black Comedy and numerous workshops.

Producing Lend Me a Tenor are Stephanie Bazzanella of Washington Township and Joanna Bell of Teaneck, with musical direction by Jacqueline McElroy-Poquette of Westwood. Dumont residents Dorothy Zdanowicz, Linda Macchio, Bill Macchio and Anne Giesemann, are involved as, respectively, Assistant to the Director, Production Stage Manager, Sound Operator and Stage Crew. Englewood is represented by Set Designer Bill Joachim and Costumer Pat Bain. The Lighting Operator is Jason Lewis of Ridgewood and Sound Design is by Woodcliff Lake’s Rob Descherer. Additional Costumers are Bunny Mateosian of Closter and Joanne Misha, who hails from Montvale. Make-up Design is by Sherry Iradi of East Hanover and Props are being handled by Loretta Youngs of New Milford.

The Bergen County Players will continue its Diamond Jubilee “Season of the Decades” with its annual holiday family show, Seussical the Musical, representing the current decade, from December 1-23, while the 1930s will be fashionably recreated with a stylish production of Clare Boothe Luce’s The Women, running January 12-February 2, 2008.

The Bergen County Players, Inc. is a non-Equity, non-profit community theater company dedicated to presenting quality productions for the enrichment of the community.